A Mutation Gave Humans the Gift of Speech. These Mice Have It, Too.
In the balmy cloud forests of Central and South America, nightfall is marked by operatic calls of Alston’s singing mouse, a small, short-tailed rodent famous for its courteous communication.
These minuscule mice, each of which weighs less than a lightbulb, sing unique, chirp-filled songs to one another that can last as long as 16 seconds. Both sonic and ultrasonic sounds flow from the mouse’s mouth, creating a song reminiscent of the buzzing of a cicada. What’s more, the mice never interrupt each other; they hold their tiny tongues until their conversational partner is done singing.
Scientists have long wondered what enables these mice to have such uncannily complex conversations without the help of human brains. But as it turns out, our brains may not be so different.
In a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers found that a simple expansion of existing neural pathways allowed these mice to broaden their vocal repertoire — the same mutation believed to have paved the way for the development of human language.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/science/a-mutation-gave-humans-the-gift-of-speech-these-mice-have-it-too.html?unlocked_article_code=1.gVA.Jfrx.ts_SISpJqK2g&smid=url-share